Massive Burglary Bust in Cortland County

Cortland County sheriff’s officials say they have arrested three people and filed a petition in Family Court for a juvenile in connection with several burglaries in the county in the month of October.

Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News (file)

Deputies say at around 11:30 p.m. on October 13, 21-year-old Taylor Funkhouser of Cortland, 18 year old Thomas Shutts of Cortland and a 16 year old boy entered the Classy Chassy Carwash on Route 13 in the Town of Cortlandville, stole $250 and caused $858 in damage.

Taylor Funkhouser/ Cortland County Sheriff mug shot

Authorities say Funkhouser, the 16-year-old and a 15-year-old came back to the carwash shortly after 3 a-m the 14th and broke into a utility room where they stole money.

Thomas Shutts/ Cortland County Sheriff mugshot

With the help of Homer Police, Deputies say they determined the 16-year-old and Shutts allegedly broke into the Super Cream ice cream store on Route 281 in Homer on October 15, causing damage and stealing money from the cash registers.

Deputies say the pair is also accused of going to CNY Power Sports on Route 11 in Cortlandville overnight October 20, entering a warehouse and riding around the property on several Utility Terrain Vehicles, leaving the property and stealing two other UTVs that they rode near the Cortland Self-storage facility on Route 14, damaging the property and causing $5, 154 in damage to the vehicles.

In addition, the 16-year-old is accused of burglarizing CNY Rental on Portwatson Street in the City of Cortland in a case investigated by the City of Cortland Police.

Shutts is charged for the Classy Chassy Carwash case with felony burglary, felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor petit larceny. For the CNY Power Sports break-in, he is charged with felony grand larceny, felony burglary, felony criminal mischief, felony conspiracy and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child. In the Cortland Self-Storage break-in, Shutts is charged with felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.

The 16-year-old is charged with two felony counts of burglary, felony criminal mischief, misdemeanor criminal mischief, two misdemeanor counts of conspiracy and two misdemeanor counts of petit larceny in the car wash burglary, felony counts of grand larceny, burglary and criminal mischief as well as misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child in the CNY Power Sports case and felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor counts of conspiracy and endangering the welfare of a child in the Cortland Self-Storage case.

The 15-year-old is charged with felony burglary ad misdemeanor counts of conspiracy, criminal mischief and petit larceny in the second carwash break-in.

Funkhouser and the 16-year-old were released on Alternatives to Incarceration through Cortland County Probation. The 15-year-old will report to Cortland County Probation while Shutts was sent to the Cortland County Jail on $3,000 bail.